Pres. Peres Asks Pres. Obama to Free Pollard

President Shimon Peres asked President Barack Obama to pardon Jonathan Pollard. The request came Wednesday during the meeting between the two in Jerusalem. Pollard is a Jewish-American who sent Israel classified information dealing with Arab chemical and biological weapons capabilities. He was sentenced to life in prison, originally in solitary confinement in the 1980s. His now ex-wife Anne Pollard was also jailed for holding one of the briefcases that contained classified information although she was oblivious to her former husband's dealings.

In anticipation of President Obama's visit to Israel, over 200,000 Israelis have signed the FreePollard.org petition asking for his clemency. This includes famous Israelis such as Gilad Shalit, Yair Lapid and others. Top ranking American officials have also come out this year stating that Pollard's sentence was too stiff, especially considering his now ailing health.